‘Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio moves almost paid for already at Aston Villa’
Aston Villa’s ability to sign Marcus Rashford permanently may be dictated by their success in knock-out competitions this season, reports The Telegraph.
Rashford joined from Man United, and Marco Asensio left PSG for Aston Villa, in two high-profile loan switches in the January transfer window.
Both players had fallen out of favour at their teams, and despite impressing early in their careers, seemed to be unlikely to replicate their prior successes.
However, the switch to the Midlands has been transformative, with Aston Villa fans wanting Asensio and Rashford to remain permanently.
Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford loan fees paid off with a win over Club Brugge
Villa will have covered the costs of both Rashford and Asensio’s loan deals, should they beat Club Brugge, and qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League, reports The Telegraph.
The Villains won the first-leg 3-1 in Bruges, and will take on their Belgian opponents in the second-leg on Wednesday (12 March).
The Midlands side being able to sign Rashford permanently is now contingent on their continued success in the Champions League, as well as the FA Cup, with the team set to face Preston North End in the quarter-final.
| 2024/25 Aston Villa stats in the Premier League | Rashford |
| Appearances | 5 |
| Starts | 1 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 2 |
Mick Brown told Football Insider exclusively, Villa are now in a race with Barcelona to sign the England international permanently.
Despite being used mainly from the bench, the on-loan 27-year-old has shown the talent that made him one of the world’s foremost superstar talents early in his career.
Unai Emery must figure out how to get Morgan Rogers and Marco Asensio into the same starting XI
Football Insider Verdict
Since joining in January, Asensio has slipped under the radar, with the media and fans clamouring to see how Rashford performs.
However, the Spanish international, and three-time Champions League winner, has shown why he was a stalwart for Real Madrid during one of the club’s most successful periods.
Asensio put the finishing touches on a 3-1 win over Brugge in their first-leg win, but his performance against Chelsea was a masterpiece, scoring twice in a 2-1 win.
There is an issue for Unai Emery however. The Spanish manager has one of England’s most talented midfielders, Morgan Rogers, and he is struggling to fit him into the side after Asensio’s arrival.
Both players thrive behind a solo striker, and both players have struggled when being moved out of position.
Emery has attempted to play Rogers at right-wing, to accommodate for Asensio, but the end result was the former Man City man being largely absent, and unimpactful.
It’s a nice problem to have for now, with the Spaniard spoilt for choice, but sooner or later, both players will want guarantees that the number 10 role is theirs.